Canadian police announce the arrest of a fourth Indian suspect in the murder of a Sikh activist

Canadian police announce the arrest of a fourth Indian suspect in the murder of a Sikh activist

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A fourth Indian national living in Canada has been charged in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader last June that became the focus of a diplomatic row with India.

British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a news release late Saturday that 22-year-old Amandeep Singh was already in the custody of Peel Regional Police in Ontario on unrelated firearms charges.

“IHIT examined the evidence and gathered sufficient information for the BC Public Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder,” the police statement said.

Police also confirmed that Singh is an Indian national and splits his time in Canada in Brampton, Ontario; Surrey, British Columbia; and Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Investigators say no further details about the arrest can be released due to ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.

Earlier this month, police arrested three Indian nationals – Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh – in Edmonton and charged them with first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot in the parking lot. from the Sikh Temple in Surrey, British Columbia, where he served as president.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked a diplomatic feud with India in September when he said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing.

India had accused Nijjar of links to terrorism but angrily denied his involvement in the killing. In response to the allegations, India last year told Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country. Tensions remain, but have since eased somewhat.

A spokesperson for the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Temple protesters gathered outside the provincial courthouse in Surrey last Tuesday as the three men charged in the case appeared via video link.

The arrests have increased scrutiny of Canada’s permitting process for international students following revelations that a video posted online in 2019 by an India-based immigration consultancy showed Brar saying his “study visa has arrived,” while a photo showed him holding up what looked like a study permit.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada had said it cannot comment on active investigations or individual cases when asked about the immigration status of the suspects.